Honus Wagner Card Could Fetch $1.5 Million Dollars

St. Louis, Mo. – A suburban St. Louis man is putting up the crown jewel of baseball cards says the Huffington Post. A 1909 Honus Wagner card. This is the rarest and most expensive collectable out there.

Bill Goodwin expects the 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card to fetch at least $1 million, and perhaps as much as $1.5 million, in the online auction.

Goodwin, who has been in the sports memorabilia business for decades said,

“We deal with nice products, vintage stuff, but this is the ultimate. I can’t see topping this, ever.”

The card is owned by a Houston businessman who has declined to be identified. The auction continues through April 19.

The 2-1/2-inch by 1-1/2-inch baseball card was released in cigarette packs sold by the American Tobacco Co. from 1909 to 1911. Wagner was one of the greatest players of his generation. But what makes the card special is that it was pulled from circulation after about 200 were issued. For many years the idea that Wagner didn’t want to promote smoking was one of the prevailing schools of thought. Goodwin is quick to point out that Wagner was photographed chewing on tobacco and had done advertisements for tobacco companies.

Goodwin said,

“I, and some other people, think he just wanted to be paid,”

Collectors think there are only sixty Honus Wagner cards left in the world but most are in horrible condition.

In 2011, Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick paid a record $2.8 million for the highest-graded Wagner card in existence. Mel Gibson owns another of the top rated cards.

Goodwin is putting the card up for auction online. The bidding is going to start at $300,000 dollars.

Goodwin said,

“I believe it will bring between $1.2 million and $1.5 million,”

Most experts tend to agree with him.